Electronic devices (e.g., computers, laptops, tablets, copiers, digital cameras, smart phones, and the like) often employ integrated circuits (ICs, also known as “chips”). These integrated circuits are typically implemented as semiconductor dies packaged in integrated circuit packages. The semiconductor dies may include memory, logic, and/or any of various other suitable circuit types.
Many integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices utilize an arrangement of bumps, such as a ball grid array (BGA), for surface mounting packages to a circuit board (e.g., printed circuit board (PCB)). Any of various suitable package pin structures, such as controlled collapse chip connection (C4) bumps or microbumps (as used in stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) applications), may be used to conduct electrical signals between a channel on an integrated circuit (IC) die (or other package device) and the circuit board on which the package is mounted.
As the density of active components in integrated circuit dies continues to rise, the integrated circuit dies produce an ever-increasing amount of heat during operation. This heat is typically thermally conducted from the integrated circuit dies through multiple thermal bar vias to a heat sink to facilitate heat dissipation away from the integrated circuit dies. In some cases, heat spreaders (e.g., vapor chambers) may be used to spread heat from a concentrated heat source, such as an integrated circuit die, to a larger heat sink.